Podium vs Medallia Concierge

Podium was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. They first entered the market as a communication and reputation tool for local businesses, then expanded into messaging, payments, automation, and text message marketing as more companies needed faster ways to reach customers. Their platform brings texting, reviews, webchat, and payments into one dashboard, giving teams a simple way to manage conversations and follow-ups. Key features include AI-assisted message creation, automated sequences, list-building tools such as QR codes and text to join, and the ability to send secure payment links by text. Customer feedback varies across platforms. Many users highlight the convenience of keeping all communication in one place and note that texting often leads to faster replies compared with email. Others mention concerns about pricing transparency, long contracts, and slower support responses. Podium holds a B rating on the Better Business Bureau website, and they have earned recognition on industry lists like the Forbes Cloud 100.

Medallia Concierge, founded in 2001 in California, is built to help businesses manage high volumes of customer communication across text, chat, and other digital channels. They centralize conversations so teams can respond faster, stay organized, and deliver more personalized service. Their platform offers two-way messaging, automated workflows, intent detection, sentiment tracking, roll-up reporting for multi-location brands, and CRM integrations that keep customer data accurate and accessible. Users often praise their faster response times, smoother interactions, and better engagement after switching from calls to messaging, along with helpful templates, tagging tools, and team collaboration through a shared number. Critical reviews mention message delays, disappearing messages, limited filtering, and occasional onboarding challenges. Pricing is fully customized based on messaging volume, number of users, and added automation or AI features, so most businesses request a direct quote tailored to their communication needs.